The Cocoa-Cola Dilemma
by Ivy679
Summary: At the hands of a plot devised way before their time, Harry, Ron, and Hermione along with Neville and Draco find themselves thrown in a loop and stuck in New York City... in the summer of 1922. Sent back decades in time...Will they survive? Will they make it back? And most importantly...will the secrets they uncover change their lives for better or...for worse?AU


**The Cocoa-Cola Dilemma**

In their Second year at Hogwarts, Hermione was petrified, Ron met his worst nightmare:Aragog-a spider the size of a small elephant, and Harry faced a gruelling duel with The Basilisk and Tom Riddle.

But at the end of their third year, Harry, Ron and Hermione had had one of their most challenging years yet.

From battling dementors, turning back time, all the way to Draco Malfoy being slapped by Hermione Granger, it had been quite the year and in the end, things had turned out well enough.

But that notion changed quickly, when the trio along with Draco and Neville are 'accidentally' sent back decades in time, setting in motion events that would change their lives as they knew it.

Trapped in New York City in the Summer of 1922...Will they survive? Will they make it back? But most importantly, will Draco and Neville recover from the trauma that is being pushed into the Hudson River by a raging muggle? Will Ron ever approve of the fizzy muggle drink known as Coca-Cola?

It was the end of yet another challenging yet interesting year for Harry, Ron and Hermione. As Harry uncovered the secrets of his past and found his godfather, Ron lost his rat, who was never really a rat, but an Animagus-Peter Pettigrew-the man who sold out Lily and James Potter to Lord Voldemort, the darkest wizard of their time. All the while, Hermione turned time, in order to keep up with her work-load. After all, she wasn't simply known as the brightest witch of her age for no reason.

Now, Harry and Ron sat on their four-posters, with their trunks open as they packed and readied themselves for their last three days at Hogwarts.

"All packed, are you?" Hermione said as she walked over to Harry's bed and made herself comfortable. "You've got dirt on your robes, did you know?" she pointed towards Ron's robes in his trunk as he was reminded of the first time they met Hermione and she had pointed out the dirt on his nose.

"What's that your holding, Hermione?" Harry asked curiously as he tried to lock his Care of Magical Creature's book, while it threatened to claw at him.

Hermione shifted a little in her seat as she held up the Time-Turner she and Harry had used to go back three hours in time, to save Hagrids's wrongly accused Hippogriff from being executed as well as to save Sirius Black from a fate worse than death.

"I was just about to go return this to Professor McGonagall, I came by to tell you both about it."

"Well, you should have told us about it before Hermione, we are your friends after all" said Ron grumpily.

"I know…" Hermione said with apologetic eyes "But I wasn't supposed to tell anyone. At all. But either way, that time-turner was driving me mad. I've decided to drop Muggle Studies and Divination, so I can finally have a normal time-table."

"What? But you passed with such a high grade in Muggle studies. Why are you dropping it?" said Ron, his eyes widening with shock.

"I think it's a good idea, Hermione." Harry chimed in as he was finally able to lock his book and place it in the trunk. "Do you want us to go with you to Professor McGonagall?" he asked.

Before she could say 'Sure, why not' Draco Malfoy burst in through the door as he shoved a quivering Neville crashing into the empty cage of Harry's owl, Hedwig.

"Time-turner, I see…" he said, his eyes narrowing in fury at Hermione "Of course, only a mud blood like yourself Granger, would want to prove themselves to the world. We pure-blood's don't have to prove we're the best, we already know it." He said snickering.

Hermione knew it in her gut that it wasn't right to cheat time the way she had, so momentarily hurt flashed in her eyes at Malfoy's words, but the next minute she was busy at Harry's side helping him stop Ron from beating the life out of Draco as he

screamed at him 'How dare you come into our rooms and insult our friend, you filthy…'

'Let it go Ron, he's not worth it.'

'Yes, Ron please listen to Hermione.' Harry pleaded alongside Hermione, struggling to hold Ron back, when Neville Longbottom's whimpering voice came from behind them.

'I'm…I…I'm really sorry guys, I didn't mean to bring him here…he…he threatened me with…'

'It's all right Neville, we know it wasn't your fault.' Harry said assuring him and then turned furiously to Draco. 'What do you want, Malfoy?' he spat at him sharply.

Draco simply laughed bitterly as he eyed the time-turner in Hermione's hand. 'Oh, wait till my Father hears about this, Potter!' he said, the fury in his eyes threatening to pour out onto the floor and burn Ron's four-poster. 'It was you two, wasn't it… who freed that

vile Hippogriff.'

Harry and Hermione simply gulped while Ron and Neville shared confused looks. Ron looked slightly mad as he narrowed his eyes like Draco at his two best-friends.

'That… thing almost ate me. My father was rightly having it executed, but of course you had to meddle, didn't you Potter. Always the knight in shining armour.' He said knowingly and then paused for a moment looking a lot like Ron in an exam, when he remembers a particularly difficult answer just before the time is up. 'Of course, it all fits. It was you! You freed that raving lunatic, didn't you?! My father is going to be furious!' he spat angrily as he lunged forward and tried to snatch the Time-turner from Hermione's snake like grasp.

As Draco's hand warped around Hermione's, Harry and Ron had their hands on their wands that pointed straight at Draco, while Neville who stood behind muttering ('Please calm down guys, lets...let's not fight, p-p-please) was becoming anxious with worry as he bit into his nails.

'Leave her Draco.' Ron spat at him, his wand now close to Draco's neck and his hand on top of his, trying to pry it away from Hermione's.

'You're outnumbered Malfoy' Harry pointed out, his wand in the same position as Ron's, as Draco shifted slightly in his stance.

But from the determination in his eyes, it was clear he wasn't going down without a fight as he continued tugging wildly at Hermione's hand. Ron, with his hand grasped around Draco's, tugged hard as well as the three of them pushed back and forth trying to get a hold of the time-turner. Harry had raised his wand and was ready to disarm Draco, when suddenly, like one of Fred and George's filibuster fireworks the turner shot out of their hands and fell to the ground next to Neville with a loud bang. No sooner had it touched the ground, than it disappeared and in its place was a black void, more like a vortex that was sucking in all the air around them and everything in it.

'Look what you've done!' Ron screamed at Draco, while the rest of them stood bewildered, trying to keep themselves balanced on the slowly shaking ground.

Neville, who had fallen to the floor in all this commotion was slowly steadying himself when he lost balance and latched onto Malfoy for support, as they both fell backwards, and into the vortex before either of Ron, Harry or Hermione could reach out and give them a hand.

The ground beneath their feet started to shake more violently as the three of them held onto each other for support.

'What are we going to do!' said Harry with worry etched across his face.

'Bloody Hell! They're dead. We're going to die! We're going to die. Hermione, do something!' Ron shook her hand with dread in his eyes.

But Hermione, who was always applauded for her presence of mind, had none right now and when she uttered her next words, Ron was convinced she had gone mental.

'We're going in after them.' She said, not believing her own words as Ron and Harry shared petrified looks and gulped their fear.

But before either of them could utter a word of sense to Hermione, she had pushed forward with them at her sides as the vortex ate them whole and they vanished. The shaking ground came to a halt and everything in the room returned to normal.

Except now, Hogwarts was missing five students.

The scar on his fore-head, shaped like a lightning bolt, scorched with such intensity that Harry's eyes flew open with a start, to an off-white ceiling with slight cracks in it. Groggily and light-headed, he straightened himself and looked around, trying to make sense of what had happened. In his half-up, half, down position, he turned around to table next to his bed and grabbed his glasses and put them on as the sight before him became

more visible.

From the looks of it, he thought he was in the school infirmary. He looked around, but saw no familiar faces. There were ladies running about, in dresses that matched Mrs. Pomfrey's attire, but none of them seemed to notice that he was awake.

He looked to his sides to see if he could spot either Ron or Hermione, but instead saw Neville and Draco, sound asleep through all the commotion in the room.

'Oh! Thank god, you're awake. We thought it was time to announce you dead after you'd been laying still like that for three days straight.' said a plump old lady, with greying hair as she came running towards Harry's bed.

Her shrill voice and the accent that he had never heard before only increased the pain in Harry's head, but he still managed to speak as his voice came out weak "What happened? Do you know where I could find my friends, Ron and Hermione? Can I…speak to Mrs. Pomfrey please? What happened to Neville and- Ahh!" he let out a loud yelp, before he could finish his sentence as his scar burned more than ever.

"You need rest, dear. What is your name? Have you got any family, do you want me to call them for you? And these two boys who came with you, your brother's I assume." The old lady asked sweetly. The pain in Harry's head subsided a little as he almost laughed out loud when the lady called Draco his brother. But what had happened that he had been sleeping for three whole days! And how was it, that she didn't know him, Harry hadn't really met anyone who didn't already know him and how he had survived Lord Voldemort's attack, and he was sure all the school nurses knew Neville on account of how often he spent time in the infirmary. Maybe this lady was new.

"I'm Harry Potter, and no, these aren't my brothers. That boy over there, Neville, he's my friend.' He said pointing towards a snoring Neville as a small smile crept up on his face through all the confusion 'And no…I haven't got any family actually." He said his voice lowered and the smile gone, he didn't know what was happening, surely he couldn't reveal that Sirius Black was his godfather and he hardly considered the Dursley's family.

The lady seemed to understand that Harry was an orphan as she softly stroked his head, pity in her eyes. "Oh you poor boy." Her pity was rather misplaced, because in Harry's mind, Hogwarts was all the family he ever needed.

His eyes still strained, the more Harry took in his surroundings, the old men and women in one corner coughing and struggling to breathe, the nurses unable to help them, the young women huddled in a nearby corner, crying, wearing clothes that somewhat resembled Aunt Petunia's, he realized he wasn't at Hogwarts infirmary, and then in a sudden flash he remembered the events that led him to fall through the time turner to…whatever this place was.

"Oh no!' he whispered to himself 'Where… where am I?" he asked the old lady, dreading the answer he would receive. 'You don't know where you are, that's odd…' said the old lady, pausing for a moment before continuing with a small laugh 'but not as odd as the way you showed up with your friends. Smack dab in the middle of Washington Square Arch. But then again, odd things are pretty common here in New York City." She smiled at Harry one last time, before leaving him alone as his worst fears came to life.

Fortunately, he wasn't left alone with his thoughts for longer than five minutes as Ron and Hermione came rushing towards him and enveloped him in a warm hug.

'Blimey, Harry! Thank god we found you!'

'Are you all right Harry, How are you feeling? Are you injured?' Hermione fired a dozen questions his way, little did she know all of his worries had vanished the moment he saw both of them, and now his previous dread was replaced will a wide grin.

Ron and Hermione had woken up only a few hours before Harry.

'Draco and Neville are here too! Thank god, now we won't have to go looking for them.' Hermione exclaimed while Ron mumbled 'It wouldn't have been so bad if we never found Malfoy. He's the one who got us in this mess in the first place'

'Oh shut up Ron' Hermione scolded 'We've got to stay together, now more than ever'

'She's right, you know' said Harry in her support. 'That lady there,' he said pointing towards the old lady who had now moved to the corner that contained the old men and women 'She said… we're in…in New York City, where is that… Are we somewhere in London?' he asked curiously as Ron and Hermione shared concerned looks, they didn't know how to break the news to Harry, who had never been anywhere but London and Hogwarts most of his life, that he was on a completely different continent, in a different city, in a different time period.

'Harry, we're not in London, we're not even on the same continent. We're in the United States of America' Ron broke the dreaded news.

'It's worse than anything I imagined happening, when I pushed you both with me into the vortex' said Hermione with a glum look on her face as Ron shot daggers of fury towards her. But Harry, upset as he was, was more understanding. 'What do you mean Hermione? It can't possibly be any worse than the things we've had to face this year.' he said, trying to keep his voice steady and confident, in spite of the fear brewing in his mind.

'Oh it's worse Harry, much worse.' Hermione shot down all hope Harry had as a faint mumbling came from the bed on Harry's right side.

'I've died and gone to hell, haven't I?' said Draco Malfoy, in a groggy voice as he slowly opened his eyes and took in the surroundings and his companions.

At noon that day, Neville had regained consciousness and was even worse than Malfoy to handle. He shook and quivered uncontrollably most of the time as the news of their predicament reached his ears. On the verge of tears now, he had to be dragged out of the hospital wing, while Draco scowled every other minute.

The warm summer breeze hit their wary faces as Hermione along with Ron and Harry trotted ahead, while Draco threatened to kill Neville, who couldn't manage two whole minutes without tripping, with his eyes alone, 'Wait for me guys,' he said with all his might 'Don't leave me alone with him, Please!' he hurried along to join the trio ahead.

They walked around a circular fountain, situated in the middle of a park where little children jumped here and there as their mothers gossiped about their neighbors in hushed tones. Ron, who came from a family of nine, five of whom were currently studying at Hogwarts, was not as accustomed as Harry and Hermione to Muggle surroundings. So his eyes went wide every other minute as he took in the unfamiliar clothes and suspicious T-strapped and pointy-toed footwear that the Muggles around him seemed to flaunt with an unmatched gait.

But this time, he wasn't as alone in his lack of Muggle knowledge and astonishment at all things non-magic. The rest of them, were just as wide-eyed and bewildered.

'This is it! This right here is where the nurse said we were found.' Hermione exclaimed pointing upwards in the direction of the bright blue, cloud-less skies and burning Sun. All five of them, stood under the Washington Square Park Arch, squinting at the crisscrossed arch, as the Sun shone brightly.

'What are we looking for?' Ron asked looking away from the sun, his eyes slightly stinging from all the brightness.

'Anything, anything at all.' Said Hermione a look of determination in her eyes 'Look around, this…archway is engraved. Look for anything that could give us any clue as to how we survived travelling back Seventy years in time' she shouted out to them, as the four boys obediently followed her orders and began poking and prodding along the engraved Arch.

A few peculiar glances were cast their way, as they looked up and down the Arch and in the surrounding area, still dressed in their school robes.

'Most of these engravings are beyond our reach, they're way too high, and I don't wager we'll find any brooms here' said Ron, looking rather grumpy. 'Oh it would be wicked if we had your Firebolt, Harry, we could have flown straight back to Hogwarts on it!' he said excitedly to Harry.

'Ronald! Do you not understand?! We're not getting back anywhere on a broomstick. Do you realize that we've somehow, transcending all sensibility, have travelled back in time to 1922!' Hermione bellowed '1922!'

'And whose fault is it…that we're stuck in 1922!?' Ron, now in no mood to follow orders shot back at her. 'Whatever, I'm not sitting here and following orders from the person who started all this' he shrugged before walking away towards a nearby bench at the park.

'Crabbe and Goyle better not hear about this, but I'm with Weasley for a change.' Draco snickered and followed Ron much to his chagrin.

Hermione fell to the ground, her back to the wall of the left pillar of the Archway, head in heads, her eyes were glistening with traces of tears that threatened to spill any minute. Harry, slowly took his place next to her and placed a supportive hand on her shoulder.

'Ron's just…he's having a hard time adjusting to…to all this. We all are. It's not your fault Hermione. You did nothing…'

'But I did Harry. Ron's right. It's all my fault.' Hermione looked up momentarily, her eyes full of guilt, her face shadowed by gloom.

'No it's not Hermione, if there was any problem it was with that twisted Time-turner.' Harry patted her back soothingly.

'No, Harry you don't…you don't understand. I…I lost the time-turner.' Hermione looked up again to see Harry's expression of confusion.

'What do you mean, you lost it… it's what sent us here, isn't it?' Harry asked.

'No, I mean…after we used it to save Sirius and Buckbeak, I didn't return it to Professor McGonagall right away. The next night…I…I misplaced it in the Gryffindor common room. I stole your invisibility cloak that night and searched and searched, breaking a hundred school rules, until I found it in the dungeons, where we usually attend our Potions classes' Hermione explained, her voice laced with panic. 'I think…No, I'm positive the Time-turner I found that day was tampered with. But I was so glad to not have to worry about explaining its loss to Professor McGonagall that I didn't think about it twice. But now… I'm so sorry Harry. This is all my fault.' She said her voice cracking and her down between her hands.

Harry, stunned by this revelation, didn't utter a word for a good two minutes and just shared looks of worry and concern with Neville who had stood behind and witnessed their conversation.

'We'll find a way, we…we always do.' Harry finally broke the overbearing silence as Neville walked away towards Ron and Draco, giving them some privacy.

'I don't even how this could have happened' Hermione said wiping her now wet cheeks 'The time-turner cannot go back more than five hours, it is highly dangerous and can be fatal.' She stood up to her feet with Harry's helping hand.

'I just don't understand how we managed to survive this kind of time-travel.' She continued, dusting off her robes. 'I'm going to get the others, you wait here for us.' Said Harry as he headed off in the direction of the Park benches.

The sight that greeted him, had him the most confused and amused he had ever been. Ron, Draco and Neville sat side by side, their hands on their chins as they dreamily stared at the sight in front of them. As Harry looked for the source of their entangled attention he turned red at what he found. A tall lady, pretty as a picture, in a white as snow dress stood by the fountain, the front of her neckline far too visible and the bottom of her dress flying upwards because of the artificial breeze created by two electrical fans on her either side. She posed for the cameraman, puckering her lips, painted bright red, as the cameraman clicked away madly.

'Who said Muggles can't do magic' Ron sighed dreamily, like all the girls at Hogwarts did during Gilderoy Lockhart's term.

'I'm beginning to see the positive in all this' Draco sighed in agreement

'She's like the goddess my grandmother says will visit me if I'm a good student' Neville joined them, as his ears turned bright pink.

Harry was enchanted like the rest of the boys, but for no longer than a minute as he walked over and smacked all three of them back into reality.

'What are you all doing?!' he asked, trying to hide his own pink cheeks as they all coughed and shifted uncomfortably in their seats. 'Come on now, we've got to go.'

'I'm not going anywhere!' said Ron grumpily. Harry knew they couldn't waste their time fighting if they were ever to get back to Hogwarts. If that's even possible. His conscious added snidely.

He explained to Ron and Draco what Neville had witnessed him and Hermione talk about. Ron, who now had a shifted perspective, got up with a start and pointed his wand at Draco 'It's all your fault! You cursed it didn't you! If you hadn't come barging into our rooms and tried to…'

'Enough!' boomed Neville's voice, to everyone's surprise. He had been so quiet and shaky since the whole event that neither of them expected him to raise his voice, much less make sense with his words. 'The longer we stay here arguing, the higher the risk. We don't know what this place has in store for us. We can't…' he cleared his throat, straightening his stance 'We can't afford to fight and bicker among ourselves. Now, Hermione's waiting. We're going to go…and you both' he pointed his wand threateningly at Draco and Ron 'are going to apologize to Hermione.' He said firmly and began walking away, while Draco, Ron and Harry followed suit, slightly unnerved by the raging madness in Neville's eyes.

'What took you guys so long? And why are you all red like tomatoes?' Hermione enquired as the boys reached the Archway.

Neville, making full use of his new-found confidence, shot glares at Ron and Draco's direction who quickly muttered their apologies to Hermione, as she looked to Harry for answers about this turn-around in attitudes. Harry simply smiled cheekily, witnessing the historical scene unfold in front of him.

'Apology accepted' Hermione said, looking directly at Ron and then turning her attention to the rest of them 'Anyway, this kindly man over there…' she said pointing towards a newspaper stand called 'Papers from Other Cities' where men in suits and hats turned the pages on the latest news 'inquiring about this flyer.' She showed them the flyer, printed in bold Black, with pictures that stayed still (unlike those in 'The Daily Prophet')

 _ **F** **RANK SHAY'S BOOK SHOP**_

 _ **4 Christopher Street**_

 _ **Signed Copies of The heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad**_

 _ **Special offer-**_

 _ **MEET THE AUTHOR –Between Noon and 2pm on 29th July.**_

 _ **Come get your signed copies**_

 _ **Book shop will remain closed from 29th July to the next blue moon.**_

'Leave it to Hermione to worry about book shops in the middle of a mess' Ron said as he rolled his eyes at the flyer.

'My 'worrying' about Book shops might just get us out of this mess Ronald, look carefully. Look at his name.' said Hermione pointing at the name 'Frank Shay' like the answer couldn't be any clearer. But the rest of the boys simply looked at the name and then at each other with confused looks.

Hermione, now feeling as if she was the only one with a pair of decent eyes, snatched the paper out of Harry's grasp and then pointed at the name once more.

'Look, don't you remember in our first year we had to study from a book called Fantastic beasts and where to find them'

'Oh yeah…I…uh…remember' Ron said, dragging out his words, scratching his head at the vague memory of book he knew was probably handed down to him from either Fred or George or Percy.

'Well, I first noticed it in my book, scratched in an obscure manner, in a tiny corner of the last page. But then after I checked yours and Harry's books, along with a few from my dormitory, I realized it was his signature. This name… 'Frank Shay' is signed at the end of the book. But the author's name is Newt Scamander. Now doesn't it seem a bit odd that he would sign with a different name?'

Hermione questioned them, but when neither of them could come up with anything more than an 'uhh…' or an 'umm…' she proceeded to explain her new-found theory. 'I remember doing a bit of light reading on Mr. Scamander, he was a famous Mazoologist who had travelled to more than five continents researching for his book…and, he was here in New York for a short period of time.

Now, given that we're here in 1922…' she paused, letting her words register in her brain, which still hadn't come to terms with the fact that they were trapped in the past. 'I think, 'Frank Shay' is a false identity that Mr. Scamander is using and we ought to hurry and go to his book shop. If there's even the slightest chance of finding our way back, I reckon it will start there.' She explained.

'But, why would he be using a false identity in the first place, it's not like the Muggles here could identify that he comes from a magic background just by his name.' Ron argued as Draco nodded in agreement. 'I don't know Ron!' Hermione shot at him 'All I know is that we have to go this book shop. Now.'

'But Hermione, how do you suppose we'll get there, the flyer says after 2pm today the shop is closed until… the blue moon? What?' said Harry, adjusting his glasses, reading the flyer more carefully.

'See!' said Hermione, in an 'I-told-you-so' tone. 'This whole thing seems very odd to me. His name in our school book, us being transported here right around the time he would be here as well. There's got to be a connection!' she said with certainty in her words.

'I've managed to do something useful, unlike you lot, and get us a car for transport to this bookshop' Draco announced as he walked back towards them from the taxi he had stopped. No one seemed to have noticed, he had disappeared to get a car, but then followed him.

'Dressed for a fancy dress competition I see. What are you supposed to be…wizards?' said the taxi driver, a lanky man of no more than 21 years of age, pale and flat-nosed, as he smiled cheekily noticing Ron and Harry with their wands out by their sides.

'Get in then, this fellow here said you're in a hurry. Christopher Street is a little far' he said, as he climbed in through the driver's seat.

Everyone quickly crammed into the car, and Neville tripped yet again, as he looked suspiciously at the car's elevated structure and the slim wheels that protruded outwards, along with the enclosed horse-carriage like cushiony seating.

'Hang on to your seats then.' The driver shouted from the front of the of glass pane that separated the driver's and the passenger's seats. '

'AHHHHHH!' came the strangled screams of all five, as the driver jerked the car to a start and swerved and swiveled down the road in an ungodly manner.

'He's a madman! This is all your fault Malfoy!' Ron screeched as he clung on for dear life onto Neville on his right and almost grabbed Draco's neck on his left.

'We're going to die! We're going to die in 1922, we're going to die even before we were born! Ahhhhh!' screamed Neville, his face distraught and his voice panicked as the driver nearly missed an old lady and a small baby in the middle of the road.

Harry and Hermione, too stunned by the 'madman's' driving, simply screamed at the top of their voices, while Draco whimpered and complained about how his father would have this driver executed.

Finally after a grueling twenty minutes and a queasy stomach on Neville's part, they arrived at 4 Christopher Street's Book Shop. Stumbling in their steps, they got out of the car while Harry requested the driver wait for them, in spite of his preposterous driving, if in case they needed to go elsewhere.

'Oh no no no!' said Hermione, as a dejected look came across her face when she reached the small blue door of the entrance of the bookshop. It was locked shut.

But a ray of hope soon glimmered in her eyes, as an old man with a tattered brown over-coat and bulging stomach approached them with what seemed to be the keys that unlocked the door.

'Are you friends of Shay's?' he asked smiling. 'I'm afraid you just missed him, you see he's going away. The ship leaves soon. You could still make it if you hurry and use the shortcut to the docks.'

'Oh thank you so much!' Hermione said, her eyes now blazing with hope 'We have some very urgent matters to discuss with him. Could you tell us which ship he is boarding?'

'Sure.' Replied the old man as he took out a scrunched up piece of paper from his pocket and adjusted his horn-rimmed glasses 'Ahh… here it is, he will be boarding the RMS Olympic at 2:45 pm and…' he said glancing at his pocket watch 'You have just about fifteen minutes. So you better hurry.'

The old man smiled at them one last time, looking at their outfits a bit peculiarly as he entered the shop and closed the door behind him.

'Never. Again.' Ron said, taking two steps back from the car they came in as Harry took two steps forward.

'Not this…this Death Machine!' said Malfoy, as he looked at the car with disgust and fear.

None of them were too eager to get back in the 'Death Machine', but what choice did they have. So gulping their fears, distraught faces and sweating limbs, they climbed back and off they went, screaming at their raving lunatic of a driver, clutching for their lives at his unhinged and frenzied driving.

Huffing and puffing and clutching their chests, like their hearts might fall out at any moment, Harry, Ron and Hermione ran along the docks where large White Liner cruise ships were lined and people stood waving and sniffing, shouting their good-byes to family and friends that stood cluttered together along the railings of the boat.

'I get now, why Dad keeps admiring Muggle's and their inventions' Ron muttered as he stared at the long line of Ships in amusement, each one larger than the other.

'There it is! Come on, Hurry!' Hermione nudged Ron and Harry as she spotted the enormous mammoth like, yet sleek looking ship with the words 'Olympic' Sprawled over it. 'There he is!' Hermione spotted Mr. Scamander in the long line of passenger's getting on the boat.

'How do you know it's him?' Ron cried out from behind, struggling to keep up.

'I've seen his picture in one of the books at the library back in Hogwarts!' Hermione shouted back as she sprinted towards the ship waving her hands and shouting at the top of her voice 'Mr. Scamander! Mr. Newton Scamander!'

Unable to slow her upbeat tempo, she nearly crashed into Mr. Scamander.

'You…can't…get…on…that…boat…Mr. Scamander…' she said between breaths as Harry and Ron joined her, almost collapsing to the floor themselves.

Mr. Scamander, shocked and utterly confused at the scene displaying in front of him, began to take two steps back wards until he saw Harry's face.

'Good Heavens!' he gasped 'I…I don't believe it, you…you actually made it. I just don't believe it… Harry Potter, before my very eyes!' he said, a sudden energy in his voice and in his step. 'Wait, how did you know where to find me, I didn't think he'd compromise by giving you instructions, and how did you recognize me…and who are…they?' he said, eyeing Ron and Hermione.

'These are my friends' said Harry, finally catching his breath but yet again losing all sense of sensibility 'How…how do you know me? I'm not even…born yet what do you mean 'I actually made it' how did you know I was coming? Who were you talking about giving me instructions? What is going on?!'Harry flung a dozen questions his way, his voice demanding.

The Ship's warning whistle bellowed, signaling it would depart in less than five minutes.

'Oh forgive me Mr. Potter, how I wish I had the time to explain…but I…I must leave, forgive me. Truly, I am sorry about your…predicament' he said in an urgent tone picking up his luggage and removing some money from his pocket, as he hurried along the line. 'Here, take this money and…this' he handed Harry a crumpled paper ' This is where you will find all the answers you need. On the 31st of July, go here at exactly 7 pm, and don't be late' he gave out instructions that made no sense and only seemed to frustrate Harry further.

Without another word, Mr. Scamander was quickly out of sight and up along the cruise ship as he waved to them and shouted 'It was pleasure meeting you, Mr. Potter, I hope we meet again.'

Harry, Ron and Hermione just stood there, dumfounded and clueless as to what to do next as in the next five minutes the cruise ship sailed away, leaving them with more questions and zero answers.

To further complicate things, Draco and Neville came running towards them, out of nowhere with their manic driver behind them shouting 'Oy, give me my money you little scoundrels! I want my money!'

'HELP!' Draco and Neville screamed in unison as they gained speed.

Discomposed by Draco and Neville's sudden advancement towards them, neither of the trio had enough time to comprehend their next move, so when Neville with his pleading eyes waved his hands and screamed at them for help, all Ron, Harry and Hermione could do was jump aside unsettled, as Neville crashed into what looked like the female version of Uncle Vernon and doubled over the railing falling head first into the Hudson River.

Draco was next as he crashed into the female version of Dudley and fell sideways on top of Neville, drowning him as he sat on his shoulders to keep himself afloat. 'My father will hear about this! He will get rid of all you filthy muggles! AHH! Save me! Potter! Granger! Somebody! I will pay you one hundred galleons! Save me…Ah ah ah NOOO!' he said sliding off of Neville and into the water, giving Neville a chance to be melodramatic.

'Harry, Hermione! Professor Dumbledore, Godric Gryffindor! Help us in the name of Hogwarts! I…I think I'm beginning to see my dead grandfather…' Neville croaked ever so dramatically, holding his hand over his head and squinting his eyes like he was about to pass out.

Now, Harry, Ron and Hermione were good people. Even better friends. The water of Hudson River was maybe a little too deep, a little too dirty, but considering the fact the Neville and Draco had luckily fallen smack dab in the middle of two lifeguard rescue tubes, the three of them couldn't help but double over in laughter at Draco and Neville's melodramatic and unnecessary cries for help and duck like flapping.

And in the midst of traveling back in time and meeting people who knew your life-story even before it happened, a bout of laughter was exactly what they needed.

The setting sun cast a light flicker on the cars that moved along Queens borrow Bridge. In one such car, five students from a wizarding school, two of whom were in soaking robes, sat in a silence enveloped by questions that burned bright. Looking out the glass-pane like window of their taxi, Harry couldn't help but gaze admiringly at the city that seemed to rise up across the river amidst the bridge's girders. In that moment, Harry could have sworn he had been here before as he looked at the city, which looked like she was making a wild promise of all the mystery and beauty in the world.

'Ain't she a beauty!' the driver chuckled as if reading Harry's thoughts. 'By the way, you kids come from them old money, or are you from the new lot. You must belong to some lot, if you're stayin at The Plaza.' He remarked casually, not really expecting a reply from a group of people who had been eerily silent for a stretch of twenty minutes.

'What does he mean by old money' Neville whispered to Ron, breaking the silence 'Money can't possibly grow old, can it?' he said scratching his head 'Do you think they'll accept sickles, when we run out of this paper that Mr. Scamander has provided us with? I found some in my pocket after we got out of that dreadful River' Neville and Draco, who had overheard their conversation, both shuddered at the memory of their 'near-death-experience'.

Crossing over the bridge, making a few turns here and there, they finally arrived at Fifth Avenue and Central Park South, where The Plaza Hotel was situated.

Hermione, who seemed to have grasped the currency better than the others, handed the taxi driver his fare and they all entered the hotel lobby to check in.

At first the receptionist looked at the five of them with suspiciously narrowed eyes and furrowed brows. It wasn't exactly hotel policy to allow a bunch of kids, no matter the size of the wad of money they held, to stay in one of their finest suites.

But after checking with her supervisor, who Mr. Scamander had personally paid a visit and worked a charm on, she had no choice but to let them on.

'Whoaaa! This is twice the size of our common room!' Ron exclaimed as he walked into their suite in awe.

'I've seen better, but it's the best you'll ever have Weasley, so enjoy it while you can' said Draco in a condescending tone, but everyone simply ignored him

With three separate bedrooms, two bathrooms, a small dining area and a fireplace, with its Victorian drapes and King-sized four-posters, it was the most lavish room Ron had ever step foot in.

Throwing himself onto the bed, a smile spread across his lips as he muttered 'All mine.'

'Move over.' Harry said as he pushed Ron aside and made himself comfortable on the bed.

A grumbling noise came from one side of the room as Neville attempted to tip-toe and occupy the only remaining bed (Hermione had taken one of the beds completely for herself). A familiar but louder grumbling sound came from Ron as both he and Neville, looked at their hungry stomachs in embarrassment.

'Here take this' said Hermione as she handed them a menu card 'It has the Room Service number on the last page. Just choose whatever you want to eat and order'

'What's Room Service?' Neville asked curiously.

'It's on the back page, just read it up.' Hermione said rather grumpily as she walked away, announcing that she would be taking a long hot bath until the food arrived.

The boys quickly decided and placed their orders and the food arrived in less than half an hour. Draco and Ron poked and prodded their food suspiciously, feeling very untrustworthy of the muggles, but then ended up gobbling it all up including a triple fudge banana sundae, until their stomachs were protruding outwards.

'Wait! Don't drink that!' Ron suddenly jumped off his chair in the middle of devouring his apple pie as Neville was just about take a sip off the Coca-Cola bottle.

'What in god's name is this…this black, fizziness?' Ron narrowed his eyes at the bottle as Draco pushed the on in front of him far away.

'Relax Ron, it's just a refreshing and delicious drink…it says so on the bottle too.'

Neville reached out for the bottle again, but Ron snapped his hand away almost screaming 'I don't trust it!' He held up the bottle, examining it up close and then set it down again 'Let me open it.' He said, giving his hand out to Hermione who handed him a bottle opener.

Unfortunately for Ron, Hermione was too tired to pay attention, otherwise she would have told him that he had held the opener the wrong way. But since no one was there to correct him, he fumbled and struggled and pushed until the bottle cap flew open and hit Draco in the left eye, who lost all control of rational thought and began screaming like a madman 'It's attacking us! It's attacking us! Curse the muggles!' he shouted jumping on the bed, while the rest of them couldn't help but laugh at his expense.

Once the whole fiasco was over and Draco had calmed down, Ron finally took a sip of the drink and then made a fake disgusted face proclaiming 'Well, it isn't bad…but I still don't approve!' he stated firmly.

'Of course you don't approve.' Hermione said rolling her eyes at Ron and then bidding everyone goodnight as she went off to sleep. With much difficulty, Neville and Draco managed to sleep on the same bed without one ripping the other's hair put.

Ron and Harry however, lay awake side by side, their thoughts occupied by Mr. Scamander's words and their upcoming event. Harry took the crumpled piece of paper from his bedside table and read it yet again, hoping it would start to make some sense.

 _Go to the Plaza Hotel._

 _Use the ticket and the money and my name if required._

 _Stay as long as you like, I will be back shortly._

 _On the 31st of July at sharp 7pm, you MUST attend the gala event._

 _It is at Carnegie Hall. Do not be late._

How in the world could Mr. Scamander possibly know who Harry was? It was July of 1922, technically Harry wasn't even born yet. His parent's weren't born yet. But somehow, Mr. Scamander along with the mystery fellow who he mentioned, knew about him, about Hogwarts. Harry wondered who could have tampered with the time-turner with such powerful magic that it allowed decades worth of time-travel.

One thing Harry knew for sure was that it was indeed, Dark Magic involved.

But the most bewitching aspect of all was that Harry didn't feel even the slightest of panic. He didn't dare say, but he actually quite enjoyed himself today in an odd way.

'The Coca-Cola Dilemma' Ron suddenly muttered as Harry realized he wasn't alone in pretending to sleep.

'What do you mean?' Harry asked confused.

'You see, I've just come up with this…' Ron said propping himself up on his elbows and facing Harry 'We're in the midst of a Coca-Cola Dilemma. It's just like the drink. I'll admit…it's delicious and refreshing, it's different…but it could be dangerous, you never know and I would never approve. This place, everything that's happened today…it was…refreshing I have to admit, definitely different, but then again, we don't know what's in store for us and I could never approve. I don't want to be stuck here…forever.'

An eerie silence fell over them as Harry, a small smile on his face due to Ron's musings, mustered all his courage and uttered his next words 'We're going back to Hogwarts Ron, soon, you'll see'

On the 31st of July at exactly 7pm, the boys dressed in suits and Hermione in a dress and big flowery hat, arrived at Carnegie Hall. After enquiry they found out it was a surprise party honoring the chairman and his wife for all the work they had done for the disabled children of Long Island.

Ron and Neville had suggested they spend Harry's birthday in the hotel room, discovering more muggle delights, but Harry and Hermione shot down this idea.

Harry and Ron both tugged and scratched at their suits, feeling highly uncomfortable and out of place, as Hermione wondered why all the women had such short hair and hats that covered their fore-heads

Neither of them had any idea what kind of clothes they were supposed to shop for when they had arrived at Times Square's Macy department the previous evening. Fortunately for them, a young lady was kind enough to help them out.

'I don't see anybody our age here, do you? Hermione asked, looking around as she took in their lavish surroundings where the stones on every woman's body reflected the light from the many chandeliers in the room.

'No, not really.' Said Ron, scrunching his nose as the smell of the numerous cigarettes being smoked by men and women alike, irritated his nostrils. 'Why would he send us to a place like this?' Hermione questioned yet again, as she scanned her decadent and pompous surrounding for Draco and Neville, and spotted the two filling themselves up on the gift-wrapped like snacks being carried around by waiters.

'Maybe the people being honored tonight are friends of Mr. Scamander's' Harry suggested a possible theory as to why they might me sent here of all places.

'I guess we'll find out' said Ron, gesturing towards the stage in the middle of the hall where an orchestra played songs none of them recognized. An elderly man, in a white suit and black bow-tie with his gold rimmed cane, walked up to the stage and cleared his throat before making the announcement that would cause a 360 degree turn in the lives of five thirteen year olds.

'Our guests of honor have just arrived. I would like to call them up on stage and reward the remarkable work they've done for the boys and girls of Long Island who will forever be grateful to them. Chairman of the Boys and Girls Community Club and his lovely wife, I would like to call upon stage to receive this award, Mr. James Potter and Mrs. Lily Potter'

Harry almost fell forward as the floor beneath his feet disappeared. Stood before him, were his parents. His dead parents. They looked younger, but it was unmistakably them. How this was possible, was beyond anyone's imagination. Harry was now half-convinced he was dreaming. But at that very moment as he saw his parents walk up on stage, hand in hand, happy as could be, the reasons for their existence didn't matter. It didn't matter to Harry that what he was seeing before his eyes, might very well be false, and yet he had the widest grin plastered on his face for he had just received the best birthday gift he could have asked for.


End file.
